Having bad living habits are most certainly the easiest way to gain weight, and if you don’t know how to quit a bad habit – it may become even a bigger problem.
Have you ever considered observing your own eating habits and lifestyle patterns which are leading to this unwanted situation?
Pay close attention of what you eat and which are your daily routines, as they may give the answer and possible solution to your weight gain problems.
So lets start.
1.You Eat Quick And Gain Weight
Modern living is forcing people to eat their meals quickly due to constant rush and being busy all the time, and not paying enough attention to the quality of the food consumed.
Homemade cooking has become an ancient history, but luckily, the awareness of this problem is becoming bigger everyday.
People are starting to realize they have to find more time for themselves and pay attention to their quality of life.
Eating quickly is for sure making you gain weight. Studies have shown that people who eat their meals quickly, are more likely to be overweight or obese.
Why is it happening?
Because it takes time for your body to tell your brain it is full.
It needs time to process the information, therefore, people who eat quickly always eat more food than their body needs.
Advice: If you’re a quick eater, try to slow down by chewing food more and taking smaller bites.
2.You Don’t Drink Water
Another bad habit leading to gain weight is not drinking water enough.
Not doing so can make you thirsty, and oftentimes, thirst can be mistaken as a sign of hunger instead of thirstiness.
In a study it was elaborated that people who drank two cups of water before breakfast, ate almost 22% fewer calories per meal than people who didn’t drink water at all.
Drinking water is something you must do on a regular basis.
It is part of our body and it allows flow of all metabolic processes within the body. Flushing out toxins is its primal function, and you know what happens without hydrating enough.
If you try to replace sugar-sweetened beverages with water, you may reduce calorie intake up to 200 calories per day, which is a big number to deal with.
In case you’re not the biggest fan of water, try adding few slices of cucumber, lemon or your favorite fruit, just to add a dash of flavor and make water more desirable to drink.
3. You Are Too Much Of A Social Person
Having the attribute of being too social usually involves lots of gatherings, drink and food. Being too much into socializing will most certainly make you gain weight.
Many researches show that if you are around people who eat and drink much, it is most likely you’ll follow this action as well.
4. You Sit Too Long
Unfortunately, people are being busy all day long and they do nothing but sit.
Although it may seems harmless, studies show that people who sit longer are more likely to become overweight.
In addition, they also have higher risks of developing chronic diseases and increase the possibility of early death.
Other studies have found that people who sit the longest, don’t seem to ever make up for the time they spent sitting – with exercising.
In case your work involves too much sitting, you have to make sure to consider exercising at least few times per week.
5. You Don’t Sleep Enough
Lack of sleep usually leads to gain weight. This is happening due to many factors, including hormonal changes and a lack of motivation to exercise.
In a study conducted by observing women and their sleeping patterns, was elaborated that women who slept fewer than 5 hours per night, had a much higher risk of gaining weight than women who slept 7 hours or more.
People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to gain belly fat. Carrying more belly fat is linked to a higher risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
If you have sleeping troubles, here you can find some useful information related to the subject.
6. You Don’t Relax Enough
The worst thing you can do to compromise your health and gain weight is not having time to relax enough.
Being constantly under stress will most certainly lead to gaining fat, because usually when under stress, people have cravings for unhealthy and so called -comfort foods- to relieve stress and make them feel better.
If you are constantly under stress, you must find ways to release it.
You can always try meditation and see how it works for you, although a good exercise, or a long walk can do wonders for your health as well.
7.You Eat From Large Plates
The size of the plate matters and could have a significant impact on your waistline.
In an analysis made, scientists found that people tend to eat more food when it was served on larger plates than smaller plates, and the worst part is – they didn’t even realize it.
On average, people who ate from larger tableware consumed 16% more calories per meal than others who ate from small plates.
Usually, overeating happens because larger plates make food servings look smaller than they really are. This action tricks the brain into thinking you haven’t eaten enough food.
Advise: Try to serve food in smaller plates which may help you eat less food than usual.
8.You Eat In Front Of The TV
This is the worst case scenario to gain weight. You eat and eat until you feel full, and you don’t measure the food consumed.
The TV is distracting of what you eat and you don’t pay much attention to it. Eating while distracted could make you eat more food than its necessary.
Advise: Do mindful eating. While you’re eating, aim to remove all distractions and focus on your meal ONLY.
9.You Drink Your Calories
Many fall into this trap. They think if they’re not eating solid food – they do not consume more calories.
Well, sorry to disappoint you, but you are totally WRONG!
Drinking any kind of soft drinks, fruit juices and other (non)/alcohol beverages – might be making you gain fat.
Unfortunately, brain does not recognize liquid calories as the ones coming from solid food, and because of this, you’re more likely to compensate calories by eating more food later on.
Advise : Rather take your calories from whole foods and NOT beverages, because whole foods take more time to chew and swallow, which means your brain has more time to process hunger signals.
10. You Don’t Eat Protein And Fiber Enough
If you don’t eat enough protein it is most likely you’ll gain weight.
This is very important nutrient that can help you stay fuller for longer period of time, making you eat less food than usual.
If you are on a high protein diet, it can help boost your metabolism and preserve muscle mass, which are the two most important factors for maintaining a healthy weight.
Try eating more protein-rich foods like eggs, fish, meat, lentils or tofu.
Also, a lack of good fiber in your diet can make you also gain weight. This is happening because fiber helps control your appetite to keep you fuller for longer period of time (as per study conducted).
Eating more soluble fibers coming from vegetables, especially beans and legumes can keep your waistline in check.
11. You Don’t Use Stairs Much
Most often, people tend to use elevator rather than taking the stairs. In case you’re one of those, you’re missing out an easy and helpful workout session.
This research show that you can burn 8 calories for every 20 steps you climb.
Only 8 calories spent per every 2 steps may seem insignificant to you, but, if you often travel between many floors, consider it as a good exercise plan.
Read next: Which are the health benefits of stair climbing
12.You Don’t Eat Healthy Snacks
Hunger has always been the number 1 reason for people to gain weight.
Usually, when people are hungry, they are more likely to eat larger portions of food and what’s more, hunger can increase your cravings for eating too much of unhealthy foods.
Keep in mind that having healthy snacks is handy (especially at work), as they can help combat hunger cravings for unhealthy foods.
Just don’t forget to keep portion sizes in check, otherwise, you may end up eating too many of these and affect your waistline.
Read next: Which healthy snacks are good for your diet
13.You Are Not Eating Healthy Fats
Healthy fats usually include olive oil, coconut and avocado oil, which are always part of a healthy diet plan, but it doesn’t mean you can have too much of them.
For example, a single tablespoon of olive oil contains approx 120 calories, and if you add multiple spoons of oil to your meals, calories can add up quickly leading to unwanted weight gain.
Although healthy fats are high in calories, they are highly nutritious and should not be avoided.
Always aim to get most of the fat coming from whole foods(salmon or/and avocado).
Tend to eat a good balance of healthy fats, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, which will naturally balance your diet and lower your daily calorie intake.
Read next: Why we should put salmon on our menu
14. You Shop Without A Grocery List
Shopping like this will always lead you buying too much food you don’t need, and if you do shopping being hungry – even worse.
You’ll end up shopping unhealthy snack foods. Having a shopping list will help you save money, and it can also stop you from making impulse purchases.
Making a grocery list prior doing any shopping, will force you to much healthier choices.
Few Tips To Follow
- List your foods in order starting from closest – to furthest ones from the entrance, as this will help you save time and avoid shopping temptation
- Arrange foods by category so you can easily locate them
- Try your grocery list to match your weekly meal plan in order to avoid going back to the store again
15.You Have Too Many “Tempting” Coffees
This is highly popular beverage which is not only energizing, but it is also loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients.
However, adding too much cream, sugar, milk and other additives in your coffee, is the perfect way to gain weight.
Yes, we know, you think you have to give up on your favorite drink – but you can’t. However, try switching to black coffee ONLY and try to have it without any add-ons.
You’ll save few calories, you know?
Read next: Coffee health benefits – Do they really exist
16.You Don’t Eat Fruits And Veggies
These should be always the main part of your meal plan if you don’t want to gain weight.
Not only fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial nutrients, they are also low in calories, which is great for keeping your waistline in check.
Even though you may not be the biggest fan of fruits and vegetables, you still have to make an effort and include them in your meal plan.
Things to consider:
- Add some fruit to your morning oatmeal
- Eat vegetable-rich soups and stews
- Take some raw veggie sticks when going to work and use them as a healthy snack
- If you’re hungry, always reach for a fruit or veggie, and not for a bag of potato chips
Switch your eating mindset to a healthier one.
17. You Have Irregular Meals
This is the worst case scenario if you want to gain weight.
Delaying a meal every now and then isn’t harmful, but constantly eating at irregular times may be harmful both to your health and your waistline.
In a study, scientists found that people who had regular mealtimes felt less hungry before a meal, and more full after a meal.
This means that people with irregular mealtimes may often feel more hungry and tend to eat more than usual.
What is even more concerning is that people who have irregular mealtimes, have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases, and this includes metabolic syndrome, heart disease, insulin resistance and poor blood sugar control.
Conclusion
Don’t worry. Even if you found yourself reading these lines, you can still make healthier lifestyle changes starting from today.
Switching to much healthier choices and leading a better lifestyle, will not only keep your good waistline, but you’ll improve your overall health in general.
Just keep in mind which habits may sabotage your diet and ruin all your efforts to finally gain that perfect body figure you have always wanted.
The post 17 Bad Habits That Are Making You Gain Weight appeared first on 1body1health.